Lennox Lewis may be ready to give up on Mike Tyson and seek to fight a new challenger for his undisputed world heavyweight crown.

Lennox Lewis may be ready to give up on Mike Tyson and seek to fight a new challenger for his undisputed world heavyweight crown.

That was the broad hint today from Lewis, in a statement issued through his promoters, as well as from his trainer Emanuel Steward following the Nevada State Commission's decision to deny Tyson a licence to box the Briton in Las Vegas in April.

Lewis is clearly having second thoughts about fighting troubled Tyson whether or not an alternative venue can be found for the bout.

He said: "I have made no decision yet about the possibility of fighting Mike Tyson in another jurisdiction that may licence him.

"I want to consider carefully the reasons expressed by the commission in denying Tyson the licence.

"In addition I am still consulting with my attorneys as to the legal consequences should I declare that I will not go forward with the bout."

Steward confirmed Lewis is not necessarily determined to pursue a fight against Tyson, reasoning the troubled life of the former world champion is in danger of rendering his challenge unfeasible.

"At this moment in time Lennox is maybe losing interest in it," said Steward.

"I don't think he would ever be criticised for not making the fight."

It was, according to Steward, the boxing world rather than Lewis himself, who wanted the fight.

"Lennox has always had a good, clean image in boxing - and the only reason he wanted this fight was because the public wanted it," he said.

Las Vegas itself, meanwhile, has been coming to terms with the news that the April fight will now almost certainly not happen following last night's decision by a 4-1 majority to deny Tyson his licence to box.

Deputy mayor Gary Reese welcomed the ruling - even though it will cost his city hundreds of millions of dollars.

Reese pointed out even Tyson's own lawyers feared how their client - "a dangerous man" - might react as they waited for the decision.

On that basis he reasoned he would rather not have such a person granted a licence to perform, despite the revenue certain to be lost.

"If his own attorneys figure that why would you allow a man like that to fight in your city?" deputy mayor Reese asked of a man who has a litany of misdemeanours in and out of the ring hanging over his head.

"It is a great decision. We can have other shows like this; we have hundreds of shows here," he said.

But there was a more equivocal reaction from Scott Gertner, director of sport and promotions at the MGM Grand hotel where the fight was supposed to be taking place as he said: "We are a bit disappointed."